Of what it does to an individual, what it does to groups and the lasting impact it can have on a society. Globally oppressed states have a tendency at times to become radicalized.

These are, of course, my thoughts and observances that I’m jotting down here. I try to look at this world with thoughtful contemplation. Sometimes this is not always the case though.

Sometimes it is just with a sense of sadness and at other times with hope and wonderment. I prefer the latter.

There has been a shift lately with with the #metoo and #timesup movements. They’ve had a powerful effect and so they should. In fact, it is long overdue.

And it is not just those of us who’ve been assaulted or preyed upon sexually. It is about being categorized as ‘less than’ or viewed as an ‘accessory’.

I too have been sexually assaulted and been made to feel as if my worth in this world was of little to no importance. And I know the percentage of women who have experienced these issues as well is staggering.

I was watching a news feature on CBC last week. Iranian women were standing in public , their hijab on sticks being waved in the air as if to surrender.

It was anything but!

You see they were protesting against the laws in Iran that make it compulsory for a woman to wear the hijab while in public.

The first woman to do this was promptly arrested. So began the protests and the campaign of #whereisshe?

February 11th, 2018 marked the 39th year since Iran made it a law that a woman cannot go out in public without wearing the hijab. I have included the link to an article on this subject at the bottom of this page. To date about 29 women have been arrested and it is likely exceeded that number at this writing.

Oppression of women has been a global issue for thousands of years, if not from the beginning of our time. And I wonder why this is?

There are men now feeling a little intimidated by this movement. To those men who feel they are being ‘silenced’ I say this.

What you feel is but a shadow of what many women have lived with for thousands of years.

We have lived our lives in fear, lived our lives without a voice and have had to abide by laws forbidding us rights over our own bodies. And this is just the tip of the sexual divide. And that women in areas of this world still cannot show their face in public and are circumcised (mutilation of female genitalia) in this day and age is so very tragic.

Men will never know the full impact of how they’ve treated their counterparts as there really are no words.

What we need to do is move forward. It starts from the cradle. We need to teach and build that education on respect, love and equality.

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I have provided the links to an article that was written by Gwynne Dyer back in July 2016 and also of a recent lecture he gave at the University of Regina.

After one week in office President Trump has moved in a frightening direction.

In Trump’s head its okay to tear up trade agreements and insist that all the jobs that have been lost in the U.S. due to out-sourcing and immigration.

Now President Trump thinks himself quite the business man as well. If this were true then he would surely know that how we do business worldwide has changed as dramatically as it has due to technology in the last 25 years or so and not the out-sourcing that has gone on and certainly not by people immigrating to North America.

In fact having people move to North America has in fact assisted in the growth of our economy here in Canada and in the U.S. as well. This is a proven fact and Canada has displayed this time and again.

Canada does indeed have her issues, still there is an awareness to do better and to grow as a collective.

I would encourage anyone who is reading this post to please take the time to watch the lecture which is close to two hours in length and read some of Mr. Dyer’s articles. It is well worth it.

I have also provided standard definitions for democracy and dictatorship.

One of the things that is truly frightening is Trump’s desire to ‘control’ the internet.

Freedom to information is difficult enough and in these times our best defense is to stay informed of the facts and not the hype that Trump is spewing.

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After a year and half the American election finally came to bitter end. The outcome was not what anyone expected.

We watched closely up here in Canada as the ugliest campaign in history unfolded. I could not believe that a man such as Trump could even be considered. He has legal cases pending in court, he is loud, obnoxious and has virtually no experience in the political realm.

He’d somehow become something of a celebrity with his show ‘The Apprentice’. The Donald, as he sold himself some 20 years back, has an insatiable appetite to be in the spotlight.

What you have to understand is that it’s not just the U.S.A. that is experiencing radical change. There is global unrest and a lot of it.

We should be coming together as a global collective to remedy the issues that exist, and I fear with the choice Americans made on November 8, 2016 that the shock waves will be felt for years to come.

What I have seen my neighbors to the south try and hold onto is the old adage that they are the greatest country in the world and they have this ‘American Dream’ thing that, like their love guns…they cannot dismiss or let go.

And what is the American Dream?

Here is Wikipedia’s description:

The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States, the set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity, and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work in a society with few barriers. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, “life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement” regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.[1]

The American Dream is rooted in the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims that “all men are created equal” with the right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”[2]

There you have it. Yet it seems that for many, the factory workers, those who were not has fortunate somehow felt cheated to some degree.

The ALMIGHTY ECONOMY (a.k.a. Oil) became the ruler of the day after the Second World War. With technology advancing at a rabid pace from the 1970’s forward tens of thousands of factory workers found themselves out of a job. Small towns became ghost towns as their citizens lamented over the good ol’ days.

Several economic recessions and the crash back in 2008 left many with absolutely nothing. No educational options, no retraining options, no jobs, no home, no nothing.

Meanwhile in other countries such as Bosnia, Ruwanda, Lybia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Mexico, etc. corruption and war had made it impossible for their citizens to eek out a living.

The exodus began as refugees sought out new lives for themselves and their families here in North America. The American dream has been sold globally and many made their way to Canada and the United States to begin a new life.

For many of the citizens down in the U.S. with no job and having lost so much, they found the idea of immigrants coming to their country as offensive. These people were stealing their jobs, their livelihood. Even worse were the ones who gained entrance illegally.

The setting was ripe for a man of Donald Trump’s nature to come in and tell these U.S. citizens that he was going to build a wall to keep out the illegals and toss out all the aliens who had come to America. Yet he could walk across the street to a different rally and feed a line of bullshit to that group, even if it contradicted what he had just spoken about, and quite often it did. In fact, the contradictions were absolutely astounding.

Riots were breaking out at his rally’s. He was having people tossed out and continually made derogatory remarks about women.

Women became the devil and he was running against a woman.

And yet the Republican party, even though many didn’t like him, didn’t want him to lead party allowed it anyway.

Trump may think he can build a wall, tear up trade agreements, trash the U.S. healthcare system, send immigrants packing and repeal women’s rights in order to make ‘America great again’ but those are not things that can be done with the snap of the fingers.

Trump had best be careful as all those people who voted him in may turn on him when he doesn’t deliver their brand of justice.

Let’s hope that President-Elect Trump doesn’t do anything rash out of the gate.

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I’ve voiced my opinion on the whole luv-a-affair Americans have with their guns a few times..

And I just don’t get it.

You claim to value life, yet mass shootings have become commonplace in your country. After the Orlando shootings the reports that came out were poorly researched and somewhat sensationalized as a ‘terrorist’ attack.

And despite the fact to the contrary it is still being sold as a terrorist attack.

The individual responsible was in fact an American. Born and raised in New York with a license to carry a concealed weapon as he had been working as an armed security officer for some time. Apparently a background check was done back in 2013. I’m not sure what that entails but from what we have come to know he was an abusive individual with severe emotional issues. Because he was of middle-eastern descent, it was assumed he was a ‘terrorist’.

The Occupy NY movement in Timesquare, Sept 2011, photo taken by N. Pilling

The tragedy that occurred has once again brought up the all too familiar issues surrounding gun control.

They cannot even get a bill struck down that will allow them to study gun violence!

‘Former Rep. Jay Dickey of Arkansas authored an amendment that restricted funding for research into gun violence and its effects on public health. Dickey tells Steve Inskeep he now has deep regrets.’

Four days after the Orlando tragedy, they tried to again just have this clause removed. They just want increased funding to study it!!! It would seem the NRA has a stronghold, however, and it was shot down in a heartbeat.

Pun intended!

Shops in New Westminster, BC Canada step up to show their support during Pride, photo by N. Pilling

I just watched an interview with Chris W. Cox who is at the top of management in the NRA’s organization. According to Mr. Cox, guns are not the problem. It is the ‘radical Islamic terrorists’ that are the problem. It is the government that is the problem. Americans have a God given right to defend themselves. This phrase caught my attention.

Let me ask Mr. Cox this. Should all of us not have the right to protect ourselves under the eyes of God?

Are we not, according to any number of religions around the world, of one God? Yes, the prerogatives of ‘God’ seems to have been lost in translation as well.

Chris Cox states that restricting the type of weapons Americans can purchase has been tried. I find it really difficult to listen to this kind of rhetoric.

I live in Canada where we do have gun control. I’d like to see it toughened up even more though. I completely understand those that live in the rural regions of our country may very well require shot guns and some high powered rifles. They come into contact with animals in the wild far more frequently, and if they have livestock then they need to be able to protect.

I get that totally.

Timesquare, New York, NY Sept 2011, photo by N. Pilling

What I don’t understand, will never understand is why any person living in an apparent civilized society needs to be in possession of military grade weapons that can mow down a room full of people in a few minutes.

When the 2nd Amendment was enshrined in your constitution back in the 1790’s, just six guns made worldwide in the 1700’s.

The other popular weapon of the day was the cross-bow, and while they were effective, guns provided a higher degree of accuracy.

Taken in New Westminster, BC, Canada in support of Pride, photo by N. Pilling

‘The Second Amendment was based partially on the right to keep and bear arms in English common law and was influenced by the English Bill of Rights of 1689. Sir William Blackstone described this right as an auxiliary right, supporting the natural rights of self-defense, resistance to oppression, and the civic duty to act in concert in defense of the state.[8]‘

Well, it is safe to say that guns have evolved. I have to wonder if the forefathers of America would have put this in place had they known the impact it has had on their country.

What I would like to know is why my American neighbors feel their rights are being infringed upon by being restricted from purchasing guns of this magnitude? The ones of military grad.

If they want a gun, why can they not be content with a hand gun or a rifle? Regular rounds…whatever that may be. Six or something like that?

It almost smacks of paranoia that Americans are falling over each other to add to their arsenal.

I feel a sadness for my neighbors as I don’t know what it is like to live in fear that I will be attacked or hurt at any given time on a daily basis.

Once again to the families and friends who lost there loved ones in this senseless act I offer my prayers and condolences.

Peace.

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Several weeks ago I watched as President Obama tearfully laid out a plan to curb the gun violence that occurs in the United States on a daily basis. I noted his frustration as he once again spoke of the need to regulate and implement tougher standards for buying or selling guns in America.

Within a nanosecond after this had aired, Republican representatives and gun enthusiasts were quite literally up in arms holding the Constitution over the President’s head like a guillotine.

This Canadian gal just doesn’t understand her American counterparts desire to obtain and have guns.

Americans have this enshrined in their Bill of Rights. It is the 2nd Amendment in their Constitution.

Curious I pulled up this document and read it through. I wonder if the forefathers knew what they were putting in place back in 1789?

Classic Six Shooter

The thing is there have been amendments made and added to change, adjust or update previous Amendments and articles of the laws that govern. From the information available one of the last adjustments made was in 1992.

That’s fine. You want the right to bare arms. But why the fuck do you need an assault rifle that can discharge 800 rounds per minute or even a semi-automatic rifle that can discharge 180 rounds per minute?

Semi-Automatic Rifle

This just makes no sense to me at all.

There are now more guns in America than there are people. I find this fact a little scary.

Back in 2011 I went to New York for the first time. I loved it, however, I remember coming through the Lincoln Tunnel at 6:30 AM and seeing armed soldiers with some very intimidating weapons on their person. The 10th anniversary of 911 had just passed and the UN was hosting a major event. The Occupy movement was in full force as well. I understood the need to step up security.

Still everywhere we went our purses were checked and often we’d have to pass through metal detectors and the like. It never occurred to me that perhaps many Americans could well have firearms on their person.

Occupy New York Sept 2011

What is even more confounding is when tragedies such as the thirteen killed at Columbine back in 1999 to the 26 killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 and immediately thereafter the sale of guns increased exponentially. Particularly after the Sandy Hook tragedy. More guns were sold over a six week cycle than had been sold over the last 20 years! Utter the words ‘gun control’ and suddenly its like Black Friday down in the U.S. as citizens line up to stock up on their fire arms.

Times Square at 1:00 AM Sept 2011

I’ve been watching the election campaigns for the run up to the Presidential election later this year and truth be told it is beginning to get a little scary on the Republican side of things. The fact that Trump leading is so appalling on so many levels. Out of every republican candidate’s mouth has come the statement “WE WILL KILL ALL TERRORISTS!”

For the record, terrorism is a global issue. In order to stop terrorism, we need to first understand how and why it exists. Will going in and blowing up a country solve the issue?

I believe it will only make matters worse.

Trump is going to build a wall to keep the Mexicans out. That is quite frankly, so fucked up! There is already a wall there. This to me is tragic.

Sadly some of these ‘walls’ already exist

I am a member of Toastmasters International. When new members join we mentor them. I met with Luis after our club meeting last Tuesday as I will be mentoring him. The role of mentor is to let the new member know how the system is set up and to discuss the first two manuals so they understand their responsibilities. We are also available should they have any questions during the first three speeches that they prepare or deliver.

I love the opportunity to assist any one wanting to improve who they are.

Luis is 30 years old. He was born in Mexico City. At 15 years of age he went to Los Angeles to begin a new life. He had nothing and was on his own. At 17 years of age he came to Vancouver, BC up here in Canada. He has worked two, sometimes three jobs to bring his mother and brother up from Mexico as well. He has started his own company and is now married and expecting his first child.

Luis is now a citizen of Canada and what a stellar young man!

Yet according to Mr. Trump, all Mexicans are ‘thugs and rapists.’

Current snapshot of the U.S. – Mexican border

I am very proud of Canada’s ability to build on its multiculturalism. We are proof it can work. I’m not saying we’re perfect. Far from it. Sadly we’ve been very slow at dealing with our issues regarding First Nations people.

And I’m more than a little pissed off that our governments continue to sell off our resources and residential property to offshore buyers. That, however, is another rant for another day.

I am confused by my neighbors to the south. Confused and concerned. The intolerance that I see at some of these political rallies is genuinely frightening. Trump apparently didn’t know who David Duke was. Hell, I’m a little Canadian gal and I know who once was the head of the KKK.

When ‘black lives matter’ protesters showed up at the next rally, Trump quite handily demanded, ‘Get them outta here!’ And it was as if he was inciting the crowd to a level of intolerance that was becoming aggressive.

Eagle photographed in Harrison Mills, BC Canada

And security moved in fast to do his bidding. The fact that Trump is as hateful and ego driven as he, well I don’t even want to think about the possibility of him running the show down there.

Finding a really good head of state is an arduous task but some the qualities that are inherent are as follows.

Patience, tolerance, exceptional listening and negotiation skills, emotionally and intellectually sound and balanced. The person needs to be objective and be able to reason.

Trump has none of this. He is a bully. If you don’t agree with him, he’ll sue you. In many ways he is childlike, pouting and having tantrums whenever he doesn’t get his way.

Between the gun issues and this Trump fellow, America the beautiful is losing her luster. Trump says he wants to make America great again.

Not too certain of what his definition of ‘great’ is and I hope we never discover this.

To my neighbors in the south be well. We are all on this planet together and we need to learn to live together and share in the responsibility of keeping this world of ours in good working order.

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I’ve not done this too much over the last month since I’ve been unemployed, however, I wanted to attend the Pan Pacific’s 28th Annual Christmas Wish Breakfast.

So with a book of poetry (local) and a movie gift card in hand, I stepped out into the dark of morning at 6:20 AM.

A fat full moon hung in luminous beauty on a velvety black sky as rows of white and red headlights blinked in unison in the pre-dawn along the highway.

I wanted to wish the gang at Rock 101 all the best as well. I really appreciate listening to them each morning. They elevate me. They are so warm and open.

And wow! It has been a while since I’ve watched the sunrise from downtown Vancouver! I watched as the Lions now sprinkled with snow turned a beautiful shade of pink just prior to the sun flooding the sky.

The line-up at the Pan Pacific was long and that’s cool. All of us in attendance were there to give back to those less fortunate. May everyone have a blessed time over the holidays.

I will be making my pilgrimage to BC Childrens’ Hospital again this year. Notification will go up today.

And it was such a pleasure to meet Willy and Kim. They’ve been a part of my mornings for a very long time along with Alyece who I met earlier this year.

It’s been a tough one.

Now I’m turning my focus toward all the good in my life. all the little things that make my life a little happier, a little more bearable in times such as these, a little more joyful.

And yes, the gang at Rock 101 does contribute to this factor along with my friends, and bearing witness to beautiful sunrise. It also helps to know that life will always have its ups and downs. Your character can well be measured by how you manage the pitfalls in your life.

For me, I keep this heart of mine full to bursting with all the love that it has been afforded. Indeed, I’m truly blessed.

I’ve a daughter who in many ways saved this soul of mine. I turned from a path of certain self-destruction to one of redemption and accountability.

And my god, the power of forgiveness!

To let go of the grievances that have plagued me, to rise above the hurt and pain, and release the the fear.

Priceless.

To grow and expand and realize int really isn’t about me at all.

It is about my connection to everyone and everything that I share this planet with.

Its about respect, about love, peace and the human experience.

At Toastmasters I’ve been informed that my speeches touch them on a very deep level.

I am humbled. This moves me in ways you cannot imagine.

I have fought through the challenges of presenting my person and move toward wanting to make a positive impact and truly make a difference in some form.

I’ll keep trying. Rick Hansen asked this of all us back in 2012 that were invited to run with him. I take this request to heart.

I just finished a delightful salad at The Reach and I’m feeling incredibly emotional. It’s a good thing though. A release of sorts.

Sometimes reminding myself that I’m part of this collective we call humanity is overwhelming.

I want to embrace and discard all the pain and suffering in this world as unreasonable as that sounds. I want to ensure that everything will be okay.

The fact that I’m here, alive and pushing toward life, demanding that its essence fill me…

Knowing that I am loved.

Is this not the greatest gift?

So I’ll keep on, keepin’ on.

Expansion will come the more I immerse myself with this world that surrounds me. In manner that is positive with no expectations.

I can only offer…does not mean what I give will be accepted.

And never is there any remorse or ill will that what I offer has been rejected.

Know it will always be there. What has been offered will never be removed.

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The one to the south of us seems to be garnering more attention simply because of the ‘colourful’ characters that are involved.

I have been reviewing the platforms for all of those concerned up here in Canuck land.

I am really pissed off with the attack ads the Conservatives have launched since God knows when.

I don’t want to listen to why another candidate is deemed ‘unworthy’ by another political party.

Tell what you can do for this country, for her citizens. That is my interest. I don’t care if one of the candidates has nice hair.

What a politician looks like is irrelevant.

Under the Harper administration we are in fact paying more tax than we were when he first took power.

What you need to understand is the tax structure. It is a maze really.

Now, what I’ve decided to do is attached the last six years Income Tax Rate for Federal Tax only. I’m also attaching a spreadsheet I created to show the this side by side.

I used five salary bases to show how much tax you are paying.

Now at first glance you might think, wow the tax rates came down!

It’s really very deceiving. Those making more money are slipping into a lower tax bracket.

The salaries I listed $42,000, $55,000 and $78,000 all fall within the same tax bracket.

In fact $42,000 slips into the lowest tax bracket eventually.

Those who are earning the least have found no tax relief.

This is a very basic model that I’ve created. My purpose for this is to show those earning the most are indeed paying the least amount of tax.

Take into account the cost of living these days and the multitude of other taxes we are encumbered with and you will begin to understand why many feel a great deal of political apathy.

But we should care.

It is critical that we take the time to understand, even a little, how taxation works in Canada because it’s killing us.

When families have to make the choice whether to heat their homes or buy food then you know there is a major problem.

The following excerpt is from the Globe & Mail online edition.

‘It’s making an already unaffordable market even more unaffordable, but buyers seem unfazed at paying record prices for houses that have gone up 35 per cent since 2009. Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver data shows an average sales price of a detached house for March, 2014, of $1.213-million. That number dropped from February, when the average was at $1.367-million. Back in January, 2009, the average price was $783,721.’

Wow! Housing up approximately 35% in just six years!

Did your salary keep pace? No and in fact, salaries really have not changed all that much.

And yet Stephen Harper will tell you he’s done an awesome job managing this country.

At the end of last year, as of December 2014, the average wage for Canadian employees was $943 a week – or just over $49,000 a year. This marks a 2% increase over the same period a year earlier.

Average Canadian salary by province

Newfoundland and Labrador – $52,572

New Brunswick – $44,044

Nova Scotia – $42,992

Prince Edward Island – $41,184

Quebec – $44,621

Ontario – $49,088

Manitoba – $45,760

Saskatchewan -$51,792

Alberta – $60,476

British Columbia – $46,900

AVERAGE HOUSING COSTS IN MAJOR CITIES IN CANADA AS OF JUNE 2015

Vancouver, BC

$922,000

+ 16 %

Toronto, Ont

$639,000

+ 12 %

Calgary, Alb

$466,000

– 0.2 %

Ottawa, Ont

$383,000

+ 5.0 %

Montreal, Que

$341,000

+ 2.6 %

Regina, Sask

$316,000

+ 2.6 %

Halifax, NS

$291,000

+ 4.8 %

Fredericton, NB

$179,000

– 6.8 %

AVERAGE HOUSING COSTS BY PROVINCE AS OF JUNE 2015

British Columbia

$632,000

+ 14 %

Ontario

$477,000

+ 9.3 %

Alberta

$403,000

– 1.0 %

Quebec

$278,000

+ 1.7 %

Saskatchewan

$303,000

+ 0.3 %

Newfoundland / Labrador

$280,000

– 4.6 %

Manitoba

$273,000

– 0.3 %

Nova Scotia

$236,000

+ 7.1 %

Prince Edward Island

$167,000

+ 0.3 %

New Brunswick

$164,000

– 1.3 %

Canadian Average

$453,000

+ 9.6 %

Take a good look at this. Then look where we in BC stand regarding the average wage and ask yourself who is buying all of these houses?

In any case I have assembled this information hoping to inspire you to get out and vote and become involved.

Ask those who are running in your area to answer a few questions about the economy, education, jobs and all the rest of it.

Under Harper’s regime we have definitely seen tax hikes. What his cabinet has managed to do is take away tax incentives such as the child tax credit and strip it down, shake it up and present it as something that’s even better than before.

And sadly, they are not.

I will be forwarding this document to those running in my area and I will be asking them how they plan to provide tax relief to their communities, and to their countries.

I want to know how they’ll correct astronomical cost of living and how they’ll assist those who are most vulnerable.

I went through cancer treatment without the benefit of extended health benefits offered at work. Consequently, I took very little time off. I took just two weeks off after surgery and took the day’s off that I was being fed chemo.

I’m fortunate that I looked at other means by which to deal with the side effects. Still there are some that have had a taxing effect on me.

Hell, I’m pissed off that they don’t offer free parking to cancer patients. They should. I’ve got parking tickets galore that I refuse to pay because I couldn’t just jump out of the doctor’s office or wherever I was at in the Cancer Agency to feed the meter.

I believe there are solutions to these issues and will be presenting them soon.

In the meantime, please start looking closely at those wanting to run Canada for the next 5 years and those who’ve been running the show.

Exercise your right to vote and encourage everyone that you know to do the same.

We can have a better, more efficient governing body. And more importantly they need to be accountable.

I really believe that together we can make a difference and welcome any and all comments regarding the up coming election.

Below are the tax brackets taken from Canada Revenue website.

Federal Income Tax Rates for 2009:

15% on the first $38,832 of taxable income, +

22% on the next $38,832 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $38,832 and $77,664), +

26% on the next $48,600 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $77,664 and $126,264), +

29% of taxable income over $120,887.

Federal Income Tax Rates for the Year 2010:

15% on the first $40,970 of taxable income, +

22% on the next $40,971 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $40,970 and $81,941), +

26% on the next $45,080 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $81,941 and $127,021), +

29% of taxable income over $127,021

Income Tax Rates for the Year 2011:

15% on the first $41,544 of taxable income

22% on the next $41,545 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $41,545 and $83,088)

26%on the next $83,089 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $83,089 and $128,880)

29% of taxable income over $128,800

Income Tax Rates for the Year 2012:

15% on the first $42,707 of taxable income

22% on the next $42,707 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $42,707 and $85,414)

26%on the next $85,414 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $85,414 and $132,406)

29% of taxable income over $132,406

Income Tax Rates for the Year 2013:

-Federal personal income tax rates below (provincial income tax rates are not included)

15% on the first $43,561 of taxable income

22% on the next $43,562 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $43,562 and $87,123)

26%on the next $87,124 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $87,124 and $135,054)

29% of taxable income over $135,054

Income Tax Rates for the Year 2013:

Income Tax Rates for Year 2014

15% on the first $43,953 of taxable income

22% on the next $43,954 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $43,954 and $87,907)

26%on the next $48,363 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income between $87,908 and $136,270)

29% of taxable income over $136,270

**Click on the link below to pull up a PDF of the spreadsheet I created based upon the above.